The Mental Health Benefits of Spending Time in Nature: Why You’ll Love Being Outdoors and Feel How Good It Is for Your Mind and Body
Spending time in nature has been shown to have a range of mental health benefits, from reducing stress and anxiety to improving mood and cognitive function. In fact, research has found that just 20 minutes of outdoor exercise per week can lead to significant improvements in mental health and well-being. So, what is it about nature that makes it so good for our mental health? One theory is that being in nature helps to reduce the amount of stress hormones in the body, while increasing the production of feel-good chemicals like serotonin. Nature can also provide a sense of peace and tranquility, which can help to relax the mind and promote a sense of well-being. In addition to stress reduction, nature can also improve mood and self-esteem. Being in nature has been shown to increase feelings of happiness and contentment, as well as boost self-esteem and self-worth. One study found…
What happens when opportunity meets preparation?
We all know daily hard work is a key ingredient of success. But there is one more key component…
MONDAY MOTIVATION MINUTE- Remember to enjoy the memories! Or better yet, enjoy the moments!
I had a friend from college reach out to me not too long ago and we started talking about one of our backpacking trips to Cottonwood Lakes in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. What a great trip and I was so happy he helped dig that memory out of my archives. After my conversation with him, it dawned on me that I hadn’t thought about that trip in a very long time and I wondered what other trips have slipped to the recesses of my mind. I spent a few minutes going through the memory catalog of my different trips and found there were quite a few I hadn’t thought about in a while. Some of these trips were amazing trips and some were noticeably more challenging but thinking back on them, I can say they were memorable! But if they were so memorable, why had I forgotten to remember them?…
MONDAY MOTIVATION MINUTE – Enjoy the Euphoria of Dancing in the Rain
What happens when you take the time to stand in the rain? Learn from our forests and experience the rain as they do!
MONDAY MOTIVATION MINUTE – Be Uncomfortable
Growth and development happen when you set a goal difficult enough where you have to work to accomplish it. If the goal is easy and you do not have to try to achieve it, it isn’t a goal. It’s a task. This goes for work-related goals, personal development goals, financial goals, weight loss goals, or any goal really. Setting goals that are outside of your comfort zone can be a bit scary or intimidating and you might have feelings of doubt or uncertainty. “What if I fail?” “What if I make a fool of myself?” “What if I find out I can’t?” But what if you succeed? The spoils of success are so much sweeter when you have had to scrape and scratch and claw your way through and over obstacles to reach your goal. In addition to the reward of achieving the goal, you will also have become a…
MONDAY MOTIVATION MINUTE – The equanimity of accepting the good and bad of life
Monday Motivational Minute is about understanding and accepting life and the peace that comes with that acceptance.